Just wondering whether you guys copywrite your work or not before you post on this site.  I'm finishing up a short of mine and am wondering.

I don't think it matters unless its something so great that it'll blow everyone away and even than for a short I doubt anybody would take the time.

Personally if I had the money to waste I'd copyright my work

There seems to be confusion over what copyright is (see 'Screenplay questions' thread below).

DisGuy - you don't have to copyright your short, it already has copyright if you've expressed it in tangible form. This can be as simple as a saved file on your hard drive.

The debate is over how to establish this in case of a dispute, which may be what you are wondering. Read the posts and there are many ways. Posting it to a public website like SimplyScipts is one. It's up to you how much you value your work but I'd say time is better spent writing and filming than worrying about who may try to rip you off.

Just do what you do and keep quiet, if you are so worried it might happen it probably will but if you just sit back and enjoy the ride that is unproduced screenwriting thanyou'll be fine.

Alright thanks guys, and I'm about 1/3 of the way done with my short.  Turning out pretty good.

how expensive is copyrighting in the U.K

Look up about 10 lines and see the words "There seems to be confusion over what copyright is (see 'Screenplay questions' thread below)." Go to the thread (about 8 threads down at the minute) and read everybody's opinion.

Bottom line: YOU DON'T PAY FOR COPYRIGHT.

You can pay somebody to *register* your script if that's what you want. This has nothing to do with copyright itself, it's just one way to establish ownership of the work at a certain date. In the UK, one such service is ScriptVault, who charge £10 for 10 years. There are others, such as:

http://www.scriptfactory.co.uk/

They charge £30+VAT for 3 years. Sadly, they restrict cover if your script is destroyed in a terrorist attack.

As said above, copyright is your right as a creative person and you do not have to pay anything to aquire it. It comes as default to everything you do. The process of registering is just so you have proof if someone steals your idea. However, there are other ways to prove that too that stand in court (if it should ever come to that). You only have to proof that you've written something first and that's not too hard.

But of course you can put a copyright notice to the title pages of your script if you wish. It's as relevant in any case and mobody can take the copyright away from you even if you haven't paid for it.

does anyone know the website of the uk copyright authorithy